Jyuzou tensed up, glancing around the chamber. The decorations formed into paint neatly laid upon the paper walls, below the four windows on each side of the rectangle.

There, he spotted them, as clear as the light that shone, opposing the usual greyness of Dear. Rays cast upon various depictions of lizard-like creatures soaring towards a tower split in half by the doors waiting at the end.

Dragons, he was sure, as such were the few words that spoke of their presence. Majestic, colourful, and massive, flailing against nothing and turning fate's tides to their favour. Chyuuichi clenched his fist accordingly but eventually understood through Atomu's glances that such was not the right moment for excitement.

After all, they weren't to experience any magic. Rather, they stood against that dragon, the guardian of this strange temple.

They were the bad guys, and Morio, now sliding back with a cough on his knee, wouldn't say otherwise.

"Come!" the man signalled, raising his fist in their direction, squinting his white eyes. "If you're brave enough!"

In turn, the white-haired Morian immediately flipped Gloria out of its sheath and pointed, gritting his teeth. The enemy raised both fists, while his gaze eventually darted towards the lights that made the room.

Jyuzou focused, but that didn't mean Morio was the same. He ran for it, once more, swinging blindly, right as the man disappeared out of view.

Atomu blinked, moving a bit closer, and there he was again, right behind the Morian, picking him up by the cloak and throwing him towards the three.

"M-Morio!" Jyuzou yelled as all jumped in different directions, with a few sounds indicative of the stairs in the back snapping within the impact.

However, he wasn't going to give up as easily, slashing through the air, and trying to reach his back. The man, in turn, raised one fist and swung back, hitting Morio's stomach, and forcing Gloria to flail out of reach.

Turning back, his eyes were half-closed as he ducked, trying to pick the Morian up again.

"Hey!" Chyuuichi yelled, before sprinting forth and clashing his scythe against the man's armoured forearm. "Yer no good dragon!"

"...and who speaks now?" he asked, almost chuckling, as Chyuuichi's eyes shrunk in mild anger. He pushed further in, as only one swing of the fist allowed him to break the moment and send the Mirillian a few steps towards Morio.

Then, came flying Atomu, to try and unsuccessfully outsmart the man with his next move. Grabbing by the shoulder, Knrhum's Blade almost pierced through the thick steel, before the enemy quickly flinched at lightning speed and disappeared from his grasp, forcing the Paladian to fall.

"Atomu, get it together!" Chyuuichi shouted, pushing himself off the ground.

"I'm t-trying!" the Paladian answered, glancing back and forth.

Another glimpse from the wary Jyuzou forced him to fix his glasses. The enemy was much faster than them, zooming in and out of view before something sounded behind him.

"JYUZOU!" Atomu screamed, as the Morian turned, with the tip of his spear clashing with the brass knuckles.

They slid down the metallic pole that made the handle, leaving Jyuzou in a bit of a sweat, right as gusts of wind flew out from the top and battled against a similar force appearing out of the fist.

The wind didn't give way for anything but a slight push inward, much like an implosion. However, what appeared on the opposite of the Morian blinded him, and the only thing that heightened at that moment was his hearing.

When his eyes adjusted, the fist headed right for his face, before something flashed, creating a weaker source that pushed him out of the way.

The man crushed into one of the busts, as Morio jumped back, flipped in the air and put both weapons hand in hand, blades meeting blades.

He breathed in and out, desperately trying to catch his breath and see through the smoke. Jyuzou quickly ran by with a gasp, creating a gust that would clear it, but of course, the solution couldn't have been that easy.

Out of the shadows cast by the rays, he appeared again, now swinging at Chyuuichi from the back, as Morio chucked Gloria forth and created a big enough lightning to disperse that energy. Likewise, with everything else, the weapon didn't leave a single wound, as the man disappeared, before flashing over the corner of their eyes.

Morio caught the weapon again, jumping over Chyuuichi.

The lightning dispersed and travelled back to the opening between the two swords. Betwixt confusion that earlier made Jyuzou gasp and Atomu worry Chyuuichi was the target again.

Another punch came out of nowhere, and the Mirillian slid back on the ice, readying his scythe. Atomu ground his teeth and found the courage to leg it again, using small walls of dirt to leap onto his shoulders.

Chyuuichi jumped as well, sinking his frozen fist near his helmet, while Atomu tried pushing through with his Guardian Demon, although that didn't seem to result in as much as Chyuuichi's actions. Meanwhile, Jyuzou spun his spear, pushing all the frozen particles his way, but the only thing the man focused on was the other Morian, standing with both weapons in his clench.

He slowly raised his finger, pointing.

"Fool me once, Morian." his voice spoke to Morio. "I'll fool all of you thrice."

It didn't stop him, it only slowed him down and once again, left no wound.

"Now!" Jyuzou yelled out, with seemingly some plan in mind. He legged it, with the gust pushing him upwards towards the figure who seemingly bent under the pressure.

Atomu flipped around his shoulder and raised his weapon for one measly strike, while Chyuuichi's ice crystals formed around the general area and slowly connected towards him.

Morio raised his swords, breathing in, with thunders plotting their way out of Gloria's tip.

...and then, the man gasped, as his figure disappeared right before the four struck.

The powers clashed right in the middle, creating a massive source of light that blinded them and sent them flying all over the corners of the dragon's den. Jyuzou crashed against the paper walls, Atomu almost slid down the stairs, Chyuuichi broke some of the glass, barely hanging on and Morio stood up again, now facing the doors separating them from an answer.

The finale, perhaps, but the guardian was still there. The light didn't fade, as if a hand still reached out and held onto its power. Streaks of the said white connected around the room before it came into view, once more, much to Morio's shock.

The enemy began multiplying in front of his eyes, with at least twenty figures of equal power heading towards the four at massive speeds. He zapped to the side, but the fist came right out of the lightning and grabbed his cloak, pinning him to the ground.

A swift punch knocked the other Morian out as he tried standing up to fight. The spear rolled down the dragon wall and fell elsewhere.

"Jyuzou!" Morio reached his hand out, with one zap allowing him to sprint. Two hands now came out, with four figures trying to keep their best to keep him at bay. One took Victis out of his inventory, chucking it to the side, as Morio spotted, through all the blinding lights.

As Atomu tried sliding down the stairs with his weapon, one of the copies threw him over his shoulder and rendered him obsolete.

Chyuuichi was taken out of the shattered pane and thrown against another bust near the entrance, with Morgana sliding out of the window and flailing down the roof.

Morio clenched his fist, angered. He was strong.

They were strong.

They were all supposed to be strong.

He shook, with his brows now furrowed. "Atomu... Chyuuichi..." he gasped, battling against the pain of the next few elbows pressing against his back.

Gloria couldn't do anything. Lightning only came from above but was cleared instantly when more copies appeared, all turning towards the Morian.

"Never thought I'd see the day where another stands in this chamber. Though, life is full of surprises, isn't it, Morian?" one copy spoke, standing in front of him.

The boy dared to move his eyes forward, jaw clenched.

There wasn't a single wound visible to his name. No dents in the armour, and no signs of struggle to indicate that they moved forward.

It didn't seem to matter, however.

Even if he was strong, the only thing he could do was clench his fist.

...and believe.

Morio coughed out, closing his eyes with another push of the fist. The man in front of him kneeled, raising his head with his fingers.

"One day you stumble upon a different path. Stories never go the way you intend them to," he asked. "Heard the words from a wise man once. A Demonear too, but it seems that you're nothing alike. What a shame though. You could've been str-"

"Surprises, right?!" Morio suddenly bellowed, with the man halting his words and moving both hands out.

"I never thought I'd find a temple there," Bancho muttered, looking out towards the waterfalls nearing the palace. "Life doesn't write one story, though. Everyone adds that little brick and makes something very, very interesting."

The pain seemingly tripled when he tried summoning that one reliable lightning again.

However, he knew, without needing another word. He was supposed to be strong. He was strong. All of them were, in the face of inadvertence.

"What I'm trying to say is, keep carving that path, Morio." Bancho pointed, with a smirk. "One day I won't be there to take your hand and tell you what to do. Besides, I can't predict everything as well."

"Mr Bancho!"

"What?"

"Don't say that! You're immortal, right?"

"Well. Life might surprise you." he stared forth.

His words were right. Morio couldn't predict it.

Anything that happened in Harabara, fighting Isak, meeting Shi Hon, and his weapon transforming. They were led to the Kabun Clan in search of answers, but it turned out they were the enemies all along.

He didn't doubt it now, especially feeling the pain again.

All those surprises, so what's so bad for another one to appear? A surprise means no one would expect it.

Not even Morio.

Suddenly, another flash permeated the room.

It wasn't of the same lightning as earlier, but rather, a darker, violet power surging through the roof to find itself attached to Gloria's tip.

At first, the man couldn't see it, but when every other light seemed to find itself missing, it appeared near where Morio's fist clenched the katana's grip as hard as he could.

Then, it happened.

An implosion that absorbed all the light in the room.

The ornaments were pierced, with the fires inside disappearing, and the sun seemed to hide behind the clouds just in time, leaving the room in chaotic darkness, further accented by the smoke coming out from the floor, walls, and debris chucked around the destruction.

Doors shook, a few gasps came out from the rooms below, and finally, a wound appeared on the man's forearm, trickling right down the broken armour.

Morio breathed in and out, managing to raise himself, shakily holding Gloria.

When he couldn't see anything past that darkness, one eye of the curse made sure of its presence, looking right into the black ones he had. However, when everything seemed to clear and the man let out a heavy huff, it disappeared, right with the moment.

Two figures stood against each other.

Morio's cloak was thrown elsewhere, his vest's buttons were broken, with blood soaking his clothes, but he kept breathing, furrowing his brows.

The man's leg shook, but he persisted, now closing one eye.

"Seems you've figured it out," he muttered, after swallowing some saliva. "Your power spoke of the same rule that created mine, however, using the magic of that type was what I did not predict."

"Magic?" Morio asked, gulping, looking at his weapon.

"Or... was it just a simple fool's luck? Thought I was the one tricking you into creating enough light so I could have all the reign here." he chuckled. "Doesn't seem to matter anymore. I don't need a Guardian Demon to defeat only one opponent here. Rusty, but..." he shook his head, as the armour's arm dropped off.

It revealed a thick bicep, coated in a few black tattoos circling the upper arm. Morio's eyes widened, as the man took a stance, putting his foot back.

"It still works, against all odds."

With that claim, something flailed out of those markings. They flashed green, transforming into that same dragon seen on the walls, although transparent, and almost enveloping the enemy in some strange aura.

Morio gritted his teeth, as the punch came zooming in out of nowhere, forcing him to clash against the walls separating the upper staircase. This could've been his chance, if not for his tremendous speed. He caught him again, with the green dragon flying right behind.

It seemed as if it was an extension of his power, perhaps tripled, but every little ounce of pain felt the same, and a strong man wouldn't care either way. Raising Gloria with a yell, he tried cutting through the beast, unsuccessfully zapping towards the man himself.

"Didn't you listen?!" he appeared behind Morio, pushing the green dragon's punch again. "There's no way you can win now!"